Bryan Nardo knew his unit’s mishaps were fixable.
Easier said than done, though.
At halftime, during No. 16 Oklahoma State’s 39-31 double-overtime win against Arkansas at Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday, the Cowboy defensive coordinator congregated with his players. Then his defensive assistants. Then his players, again.
Nardo felt good about his play calls, his players said. And yet, the Cowboys (2-0) somehow trailed Arkansas 21-7.
The Razorbacks had logged 351 yards of offense and had crossed midfield six of their seven offensive drives. Quarterback Taylen Green was playing like a cheat code. And had it not been for a pick-six from OSU cornerback Kale Smith in the second quarter – the reason for OSU’s lone bunch of points – an Arkansas win would have felt inevitable.